Party Conferences: Should I go?

We are approaching party conference season and many organisations are wondering whether it is worth their time and money to attend. Perhaps you’re thinking, will I be missing out on important opportunities to influence? Or will my message simply get lost in a sea of noise and activity? How do conferences even work and what can I do while I’m there to maximise my impact?

It is especially important for charities to weigh up these considerations, since attendance at conferences can be expensive and must be justifiable. Conferences tend to get media coverage and can feel significant from the outside – but are they really?

Here are some things to think about before making a decision:

1.       Identify what you want to achieve by attending

First of all think about your objectives for attending a party conference. Do you have a clear message or campaign you want to share? Are you seeking to build new relationships or re-establish old connections? Do you want to participate in certain events or discussions? Is it important that your organisation is present and available to those who might want to engage with you?

There are different reasons why organisations decide to sign up for conference and they may all be valid. The important thing is you know why you are considering attending so you can do an appropriate cost-benefit analysis and focus your efforts on the things that matter most to you once there, if you decide to go.

2.       Consider how you could participate

Party conferences are packed full of speeches, debates, events, roundtables, social activities, food and more. They are busy, high energy and a dream for the politically engaged extrovert. A programme is produced setting out the timings and locations of all the events to help people plan their days.

As a charity or organisation you can participate in various ways. You may simply want to buy a pass to give you or staff members access to the conference, so you can attend events inside the conference venue and make use of the internal cafes and coffee bars for any meetings you have organised.

There is so much to listen to and so many people to speak to that you need to plan out carefully what you will do if you attend, by creating your own party conference programme. This can include relevant events and discussions that relate to your organisation and industry, any meetings you have organised in advance with politicians or their staff, and any social activities which are likely to provide an opportunity to network.

Attending an event or debate on a topic that is relevant to your organisation will often give you the opportunity to ask questions or make comments to the room, identify key people you want to make a bee-line for after the event, and understand the latest thinking on the policy issues you are grappling with. Sometimes the informal conversations you have on the side of these events can be fruitful and useful connections can be made.

Larger organisations sometimes choose to have an exhibition stand, to showcase their work and engage with a large number of attendees through one-to-one conversations. This is usually an expensive option but can give wide exposure and increase people’s awareness of the organisation. It is also common for MPs to visit the exhibition stands so you are likely to have some interactions with politicians, albeit brief ones.

Larger organisations may also sponsor an event or debate, which again gives exposure of their organisation, usually to a captive and interested audience. They may ask experts or representatives from other organisations to participate in a panel discussion, which can provide small organisations with an excellent platform to share their perspective.

3.       Think about which conferences to attend

It is common for organisations to focus only on the Conservative and Labour conferences, since these are the largest parties. The conference of the party in Government inevitably attracts a lot of interest and attendance, because influencing the party in power tends to be the most direct way of achieving the policy change you want to see. The party of opposition also has a strong platform to raise issues and is always on the lookout for new ways to hold the Government to account, so may be receptive to your campaigns.

However, the smaller parties – the Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party and Green Party – also have conferences during the same season and there can be real benefits from attending these too. Generally smaller, with fewer external organisations present, it can be easier to get cut through and have your voice heard. It can also be easier to arrange meetings with politicians and advisers, who may subsequently raise issues in Parliament if you can convince them of the importance of your concerns.

Each party conference has its own distinct vibe and flavour. The Conservative Party conference tends to be more outward focussed, with many keynote speeches designed for a national audience beyond the attendees in the room. The Labour and Liberal Democrat Conferences tend to be more focussed on creating their own policy, giving party members more opportunity to give speeches for or against policy motions and vote on them. These nuances present different opportunities for organisations seeking to influence.

Any charitable organisation needs to think carefully about political balance if they choose to attend some conferences but not others. Sometimes there may be a rationale for picking and choosing, for example if an organisation has engaged in other events during the year with a particular party and so decides not to attend their conference.

4.       Find ways to keep costs low

Attending conference can be very expensive, once you’ve factored in buying passes, paying for accommodation for any staff who are attending, transport and food costs – and then there’s much higher costs if you are paying for an exhibition stand or sponsoring an event. Some parties charge much more for these things than others.

Some organisations will see this as a valuable investment in their influencing efforts. However others will be highly sensitive to cost. To make costs as low as possible, you can buy a day pass and just go for one day – choosing your day carefully to maximise your impact. For example, you can look at when the most relevant speeches and events are taking place and also note any themed days. By packing in all your meetings to one day, you can avoid accommodation costs.

If you are in easy reach of the conference and cannot afford the pass, you may find you can benefit from networking by being in the vicinity of the conference without actually having a pass. Sometimes there are events that take place outside of the conference venue which do not require a pass to attend. Similarly, you can organise meetings with politicians or their staff in coffee shops or hotel lobbies which are outside the secured conference area.

A great way of participating in a conference cheaply if you are a CEO (or similar) in an organisation is to be on a discussion panel on an area of policy you have expertise in and wish to influence. You may be approached by another organisation running an event, such as a think tank, or you may be able to use your networks to identify where there could be opportunities and offer yourself as a speaker. As well as being cheaper, this can often be one of the most effective ways you can influence at a party conference.

5.      Plan and Prepare

Only attend party conferences if you have got the time to put into preparation. To be effective you need to have a very clear message and have spent the time honing your communication of it for maximum impact in a very short space of time. You need an excellent elevator pitch for who you are and what you are doing there, so that everywhere you go – in all the short, informal conversations you have with people – you can be planting seeds and finding useful connections.

You also need to work really hard at getting meetings in the diary with politicians and advisers. They meet with many organisations during conference, but their diaries will fill up and you need to get in early.

Also think about who you know who might be attending the conference. These are highly sociable occasions where there is a lot of networking, and the more people you know – who can introduce you to other people they know – the better!

Once you’ve weighed up all these considerations, it’s time to make a decision. If you decide to go, make some noise about it! Let people know you will be there and how they can engage with you. Reach out and organise meetings. Connect with others you know will be attending. Make the most of the opportunity to influence and raise awareness of the issues that matter to you – because it might just be the catalyst you need.

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